The British Veterinary Association estimate that 30-50% of all pets within the UK are clinically overweight, and according to Purina, who are major manufacturers of animal feeds around 25-30% of dogs suffer from obesity, or at a high risk of becoming obese.

Obesity in any animal is a serious problem. Whilst there are certain breeds that seem more prone to becoming fat (such as labradors, retreivers and spaniels for example), most dogs are fat because they either over eat, or do not get excercised enough. Many dogs are just not getting enough exercise to burn off the calories that they are consuming.

Being overweight is very unhealthy for dogs because it can cause all sorts of problems such as:

• Stress on their major organs.
• Musculoskeletal problems- like arthritis- because the extra weight adds stress to the joints and can damage the cartilage matrix.
• Diabetes.
  
• Difficulties in breathing, walking and exercising.

How do I know if my dog is overweight?

Obesity is not hard to recognise, but lots of us fail to notice a problem, because dogs can put on weight gradually over a period of time. The simplest way to check if your dog is overweight is to see if you can feel his or her ribs...

The benefits of helping your dog to lose weight are pretty obvious; a healthier dog will be a happier dog, and is sure to be more active and playful.

• Try to exercise your dog more often

• If you have a smaller dog, are you in the habit of carrying him or her around? (a la 'Paris Hilton' or 'Britney Spears'). If so, try to let your dog walk...
  

• Try to cut back on treats and tit bits. All dogs deserve a treat every now and then- but try not to over indulge them- Remember that many popular branded treats can contain lots of sugars and acides, which can't be great for your dog, and they are very rich in calories!

• Avoid overfeeding- The recommended average to feed is 100g or 3oz of dry dog food per 5kg or 10lb of bodyweight. (Although this guide can vary depending on how active your dog is)* For Example* - If your dog weighs 20kg, feed them 400g of food per day. 200g in the morning and 200g in the evening would be a good idea.
  

• Don't top up the food bowl as soon as your dog has finished eating. If the dog doesn't eat it all, then leave it, as they may come back later. (However, if you wet or soak the food, it is advisable to discard it). If you keep topping the food bowl up as soon as it is empty then you are almost definitely overfeeding your dog, and your dog is likely to overeat out of boredom or habit.
  

• Reconsider your dog's diet: Fibre is a very important - The majority of commercial dog foods contain very little fibre, because they are made up mainly from starchy cereals, which often means a high level of carbohydrates. Increasing the fibre in your dog's diet will help him or her to achieve a feeling of fullness (from the extra 'bulk'), and they will also maintain the feeling of fullness for longer because fibre is digested more slowly in comparison to starchy cereals.
  

There is a vast array of weight control diets for dogs on the market to choose from.

• Firstly- do not be fooled by some of the  popular 'lite' type diet dog foods. Quite often, these foods may only be 1% lower in oil when compared to the 'regular' food within that same range- which hardly makes it a diet in my opinion! (It is probably the same food in a different bag as there are labelling tolerances...)
• Do not allow yourself to be pressured into spening lots of money on dog food like 'prescription type' diets. Yes, such diets are very good quality- but I simply do not agree with the prices that they command- because as a manufacturer, I know the true cost, and it also upsets me to hear that people are feel that they are bullied into buying expensive food- often by their vet!

If you are looking for a food for your overweight dog that actually works, then please take a look at our F-Plan Weight Control Diet. It may be just what you are after....

This food is available to buy in our ebay store for £17.99 for 10kg. It is also available to buy from all good pet shops. Please see the the fplan dog food website for more details of stockists and for further details about the food; including customer testimonials.

I hope that you have found this guide useful- if you want any advice at all, or have any questions, please feel free to send me a message via my messages.

Thank you!
Donna.
Mad Dog Marketing Limited